The premise of the books and Marie’s now trademarked “KonMari™” method include a series of steps for readers (and viewers of the show) to follow:

Tackle one area at a time.

Start with clothing.

Next work on books.

Then dig into papers.

“Komono” items are next. This is Marie’s term for everything not covered in the previous four categories, and will be a HUGE category for most people. What’s here? CDs/DVDs, electronic equipment, household equipment, everything in your kitchen and bathroom, toys, hobbies, etc. Mementos/sentimental ideas are not included here.

For each of the above categories, create subcategories as needed. For example, clothing could have subcategories of tops, bottoms, socks, underwear, accessories, etc.

Along the way, homeowners are encouraged to touch every item they are considering, determining if it “sparks joy” in them. If it does, the item can go in the “keep” pile. No sparks? Off it goes!

Items to be retained are then folded in very particular ways (some make sense; others not so much) and are organized using boxes or other containers.

Finally, the KonMari method specifies the organizing be done ikki ni, which is Japanese for doing it all at once.

Sounds reasonable, right? Or maybe you’re already overwhelmed.

While there are things I like about the KonMari™ method, it has serious drawbacks for many who try to use it (if you don’t believe me, just refer to Google).

You need space to put all your stuff while you’re sorting through it. If every area of your home is cluttered, finding that space can be a challenge.

“Sparking joy” means different things to different people. While I believe Marie meant this as a pure and spiritual reaction to your belongings, for someone joy could be sparked because they found an item they either lost or didn’t remember they had. That reaction of joy – while real and legitimate – doesn’t necessarily translate to a need to keep the item!

We don’t all need to mimic a Japanese lifestyle. As a small country with a huge population, the homes in Japan tend to be quite small as compared to those in America. Cultural expectations are different. We simply have the ability to own more possessions due to the sizes of our homes. If you want to have a home that is very empty of possessions that’s fine – some Americans find that a good fit for their aesthetic. What I hate to see is someone feeling shamed into eliminating things that they like and can use (and have the space for if they simply reorganize) simply because an organizing celebrity tells them they should live with a minimal amount of possessions.

Marie’s system doesn’t get to the root causes of why her clients are living in clutter and disorganization. While your organizer isn’t your therapist, he or she should be asking questions that help you get to the heart of the clutter in your life, so you can break habits that wreak havoc and learn new skills and systems.

This last point is a really big one for me. In fact, it’s so important I am working on a book that delves into this topic. Watch for more details on that in the future!

In spite of these concerns, there are some things I loved about the Netflix series. Some of the stories were so powerful! I found that many of the episodes had similar themes and outcomes to those experienced by my organizing clients. Here were some of my favorite take-aways (combined from reality TV and actual reality!):

A man supporting his wife’s desire to declutter. Even though he wasn’t that excited about the project initially, a husband really wanted to support his wife. And in the end, he was delighted with the progress (and results!) they both achieved.

Gathering like items in one place to sort. It starts with all your clothes fitting nicely into your closet. Pretty soon you’ve got a surplus of clothes, and you take over the closet in the spare bedroom … and then you’re setting up wardrobes in the garage and attic too. When you allow your possessions to move outside the borders of their assigned spaces, you lose sight of exactly what you have – and that often means wasted time (searching) and wasted money (buying duplicates). Putting like items in a single spot to organize is a great way to clarify what you have and what you need.

Creating space for new experiences. One of the people on the series talked about how looking at all the shoes they owned made them rethink their values. They had spent thousands of dollars on shoes that had never been worn! Decluttering doesn’t just create physical space; it also creates an opportunity for new values and experiences. One of my clients was able to move forward with her writing business after taking charge of the clutter that was creating chaos. It truly changed her life!

Rethinking your possessions … and the way you view your life. I was really struck by an episode where a widow cleared out many of her husband’s belongings. My own organizing clients have found their joy in having a dining room table cleared off so they can eat as a family again. Another was able to reignite her creative spark because she was finally able to find her craft supplies after reorganizing her space.

It’s emotional awakenings like these that are at the heart of why I love being a professional organizer. Of course, it’s satisfying to see a client’s home get decluttered. But it’s the space clients regain in their lives that is equally rewarding.

As you watch the Netflix series (and I hope you do!), what emotions does it trigger for you? And does it make you wonder why you are holding on to things that may not serve you well?

If you’ve tried to reorganize your life using Marie Kondo’s KonMari™ method I would love to hear what you think! What worked for you? What didn’t?

Waco Home Organizers

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​I met Holly today and I am still just in awe about my experience with her! She created such a safe place for me to go through my old belongings and help me downsize old things of my grandmother's--who passed away in April. I was so stressed about all of these things my family, more or less, "dumped" on me. I felt guilty throwing it away, but knew it needed to be gone.

I'm so happy she was the person I was able to experience this transformation with. I didn't know what to expect, but I knew I needed it. If you are nervous about having someone help you in an endeavor like this--look no further and hire Holly.She is a god-send.

​Holly--thank you SO much for your hard work and help today. You are such a sweet woman, who is truly helping others find happiness in their homes.

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Holly was so patient. I'm thankful she came to help clean out my closet. I would have never done it by myself. I felt like a hoarder.

Holly encouraged and reassured me. She helped me make hard decisions to let things go that I know I needed to let go. She took a car load to donate. I feel so much lighter.

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Holly came to help bring organization to our garage. It had become a dumping ground. She worked steadily and listened to my goals and concerns.

​She helped me think through what I really wanted to accomplish and respected my wishes. She has a knack for arranging to make the best use of space while also making it look attractive.

With her encouragement I continued to declutter even after she left. God has used Holly to inspire me with my home organization. It is so liberating to see order and calm replace the chaos!

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Holly not only looks at the clutter of your life but she looks at you, the whole person.

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Holly is a GEM!! I had recently gotten married and moved into my husband's bachelor-pad apartment. It felt like such a huge, overwhelming task toorganize, sort through, and redecorate on a budget.Holly swooped in and saved the day!

​She took the time to learn my style, and with her organizing/ decorating/ crafting/ bargain-hunting expertise, truly transformed every space in our apartment into a beautiful new home within two short days. I was amazed! We had a blast and she is an absolute joy to work with! I cannot recommend her highly enough!

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Holly is brilliant at what she does. She thinks and works strategically so that within minutes you're on your way toward reclaiming a calm, orderly, lovely environment.

​I would recommend her in a heartbeat.

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​I was completely overwhelmed on where to begin. I had items that needed to be sold, thrown away, and packed. Holly came in, listened to my needs and gave me practical steps to get things done.

It made the process much more manageable and less overwhelming. Holly brought wisdom and order into my very chaotic circumstances and gave me vision and a plan. That, in itself, was PRICELESS!

I love that she generously shares her tools and her "out of the box" thinking to suit ANY need.

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Holly came to my house and performed miracles in the closets!!

Get her in your space soon!

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Holly helped me sift, sort & organize my house to make room for my daughter & her family to move in until their own house was ready. I am quite disorganized, I must admit. Holly asked good questions to help me decide what to keep & what to eliminate.

She has a calm demeanor & a non - judgmental manner. These attributes helped me feel comfortable progressing through my clutter. I truly appreciate her help.

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​She takes on the challenge while making sure the job is completed to your own personal needs and desires, sometimes intuitively so.

I wish I could pack her in a pretty, lace-covered box and bring her with me every time I move. She brings beauty and order to my jumbled, scattered existence!

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I hired Holly to help me organize my closet and garage. She helped by establishing zones for like items. Holly is a gifted and patient organizer.

Her thoughtful questions helped me make decisions and take action to sell or donate items.

​She is able to provide solutions and recommendations to make the difficulty easier. I would recommend Holly; I know she can help you with your organizing needs.

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We had Holly come to help usorganize our house in order to make a move. We were feeling overwhelmed by the task and were under a fast approaching deadline to have our stuff moved out. Holly quickly came into the situation, assessed where we were, and what needed to happen to get us out the door in time.

She came up with a systematic approach to organizing and packing that not only got us out of the house with time to spare, she also made it incredibly easy to set up our new home. Holly definitely brought a great attitude to the situation that made us feel like we could accomplish what felt like a monumental task.

She literally organized and packed our entire house in a matter of no time and she did it with a smile! Cannot recommend her more highly.​

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​​You accomplished in 2 hours what I couldn't in 25 years.

[My husband] said you were surprisingly nurturing about making a difficult task do-able, and that you were no-nonsense.

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"I called on Holly's organizational expertise to help me furnish a home we are using as a bed and breakfast! I was overwhelmed with the long list of items to buy and knowing what all was truly needed.

She created a list of things needed as well as places to shop for various items online and in the stores that saved us so much money in the end (and time)! She even sourced out a great couch!

I was thankful for her to put all my ideas to paper of what I was wanting! She added to it her own ideas and experience. So far the guests have been raving about their stay!"​